


Gone Elvis

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [176]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 16:52:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15644940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Lieutenant Grace Diggle was sent to Qurac on a top secret mission her government denies knowing anything about. She has been missing for seventy-two hours. It's up to William and Bobby to go behind enemy lines to bring her home.





	Gone Elvis

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further.
> 
> This installment is set the furthest on series' timeline. William is 34, Grace is 28, and Bobby is 22.
> 
> This installment is 176/176. The chronological list for the series, with hyperlinks, can be found at http://archiveofourown.org/works/11051019
> 
> A big welcome to new readers. Welcome to the verse. The more the merrier!

Artwork by Deena_K

 

William silently slipped into the room that had once belonged to him. His brother was fast asleep after being on duty at Starling Memorial for forty hours straight. He felt guilty for what he was about to do, but his brother could sleep on the plane, there was no time to waste. “Bobby,” he said firmly.

Bobby groaned, pulled his pillow over his head, and mumbled, “Will, go the fuck away. It can’t be Thanksgiving yet.”

He was right, Thanksgiving was three days away. “There’s a situation,” William said.

Much to his credit, Bobby was instantly alert and rising from his warm bed. “What’s going on?” he asked stretching his arms over his head.

“It’s Grace,” William said, their cousin’s name sticking in his throat.

“Grace?” Bobby asked with alarm. “What about Grace?”

“Grab your go bag. Everyone’s waiting in the kitchen.” William squeezed his brother’s shoulder, “Hurry.”

Less than three minutes later, Bobby walked into the kitchen. There were dark circles under his eyes, but he was alert. His eyes swept the room, looking for a clue as to why their family kitchen had been turned into a command center. “What’s going on?”

“Grace has Gone Elvis,” John said without looking up from the laptop Felicity was using.

“Missing?” Bobby said with confusion. “She’s in Brussels, assigned to the American delegation.”

“That was her cover. She’s in Qurac,” Lyla answered, her eyes never lifting from the screen in front of her.

“Qurac? What’s she doing in Qurac?” Bobby asked, his confusion clear in his voice. “What kind of ARGUS bullshit do you have her involved with?”

“Robert,” Felicity said angrily, “tone. You don’t know what’s going on yet.”

“I thought with Waller gone this family was done with ARGUS nonsense. You were supposed to make it better,” Bobby accused Lyla.

William placed his hand on his brother’s back. If hatred of an organization could be genetic, Bobby had inherited Tommy and Felicity’s distaste for the covert agency. Between their own dealings with Amanda Waller and their dad’s own sordid history with her, Bobby had nothing but suspicion for ARGUS.

“When did she go missing?” William asked Lyla, his own impatience growing the longer his parents, John and Lyla kept information to themselves.

“Officially, she’s still in Belgium,” Lyla answered, “but I haven’t heard from her in seventy-two hours.”

“The U.S. government can’t respond. Officially, we have no presence inside of Qurac,” Oliver said. “ARGUS can’t send anyone. Neither can the Justice League. Grace and her mission will be disavowed.”

“Are you going to tell us why she’s in Qurac or are you going to make us guess?” Bobby asked, his arms folded across his broad chest.

“She was chasing a lead on an arms dealer,” Lyla answered. “We believe someone is selling to both sides and we’d like them to be removed from the board.”

“So when are we going?” Bobby asked his dad.

“We’re not. You and William are – alone – no suits,” Oliver answered. “You need to be able to move fast, and we assume she’s going to need a doctor.”

William had always been impressed by his little brother, but he continued to surprise him. Bobby didn’t flinch or hesitate at their father telling them they were going alone on a mission abroad to a country that had no diplomatic relationship with their own country. “When are wheel’s up?”

“As soon as I override the codes on the Bat Jet,” Felicity answered.

“We’re stealing Tim’s plane?” Bobby scoffed. “We could just ask him.”

“It’s not Tim that’s the problem. Even in retirement, Bruce is a pain in the ass,” Oliver said.           

“We designed that plane’s stealth technology and your dad lets him park it in our city. We’re borrowing it and Bruce can bitch all he wants about it tomorrow,” Felicity said as her fingers flew across her tablet. “The jet will be ready when you get to the airfield.”

“Do you know how to fly the Bat Jet?” Bobby asked his brother quietly.

William did have his pilot’s license, but it didn’t mean he knew how to fly the Bat Jet. “I’ll figure it out,” he answered. “Most of the bat tech is automated. Dick’s taken me up a few times.”

“I’m sure that will be comforting as we crash into the Persian Gulf,” Bobby teased.

“Wait,” Tommy said, rushing to Bobby’s side.

“We’ll be fine,” Bobby said gently to his dad. “In and out, they won’t even know we were there until we’re gone.”

Tommy nodded his head, “I know.” He pointed to a cooler, “I made you guys some sandwiches and snacks. It’s a long flight. Try to rest on the flight - you haven’t slept in two days”

Bobby wrapped his arms around his dad and kissed his cheek, “I love you da. We’ll be home in time to help with Thanksgiving dinner.”

Tommy kissed Bobby’s cheek and then pulled William into their hug, “Make smart decisions.”

“I’m mom’s son, I always do,” Bobby said, trying to reassure his dad.

In the past, William had always found Tommy to be a needless worrier. Now that he was a dad, he was impressed by his stepfather’s level of restraint. William didn’t think he would ever have the strength to watch his kids put on a mask. “We’ll keep each other in line,” William told Tommy.

“Look out for each other,” Felicity said as she gave them each a quick hug.

“There are no good guys in this war. You do what you need to do to get Grace and come home in one piece. It’s a warzone, not the Glades,” Oliver said to them.

“Yes, sir,” William said. The reminder wasn’t necessary, but he always appreciated his dad’s advice when it came to going into the field.

“Did you hear me, Robert?” Oliver asked, clasping his son’s shoulders.

Bobby squared his shoulders and looked their dad in the eyes. “I’m a doctor, dad. I took an oath to save lives and to do no harm.”

Oliver pulled Bobby into his arms and spoke so quietly William was barely able to hear him. “You’re a doctor who knows how to use lethal force. If it’s between you and one of them, you pick yourself.”

“Okay, daddy,” Bobby promised.

“By the time you get there, we’ll have a location for extraction,” Lyla said. She hugged William and Bobby, “Thank you.”

“We’ll bring her home,” William promised. One look at the determination on his brother’s face, he knew they weren’t coming home without Grace.

 

The commandeered Bat Jet settled into the soft sand five kilometers from their targeted destination. Even with the jet’s stealth technologies, it made too much noise to land closer to the small town they believed Grace was being held in. Felicity and Lyla had been unable to narrow down Graces’ location further than the town of two thousand people. They were going to need to surveil the town to determine where Grace was being held prisoner.

“What’s the plan, boss?” Bobby asked as he double checked his medical pack. There wasn’t any sarcasm in his tone. When their masks went on, the chain of command became sacred. Not that they were wearing their masks for this trip. Felicity had outfitted them with desert camouflage.

William scanned the 3-D satellite image Overwatch had taken of the town. William hated politics and he didn’t pay enough attention to world events, but he understood the basic conflict between the oppressive regime of the recognized king of Qurac and the soldiers who were loyal to the exiled brother of the king. The former king, the warring brothers’ father, had died unexpectedly and failed to name a successor. As far as William could tell, the brothers were equally terrible, and the only sure thing was that, no matter who won the war, the people of Qurac would suffer.

Where they began their search was dependent on who’d taken Grace. If she’d been taken by men loyal to the king, she was most likely being held in a central location. Most governments were reluctant to turn innocent civilians into collateral damage, but the king of Qurac was known for using his own people as shields to prevent foreign governments from attacking. If she was being held by the opposition, they would most likely be keeping her out of sight on the outskirts of the main population.

“If you had to guess, Doc, who do you think took her?” William asked.

Bobby looked up from his pack, “Honestly, whoever Grace stumbled on. These guys all seem like equal opportunity scumbags. An American soldier – a female American soldier - is a valuable prize for either side. The rebels will try to trade her for money. The government will use her for propaganda. I’m hoping it wasn’t the arms dealer, if it was…” his voice trailed off.

Bobby didn’t need to finish his sentence. If Grace had been found by the arms dealer, she was already dead. “I hope it’s the rebels.” Oliver had loaded the jet with five cases containing one million dollars in hundred dollar bills each. William hoped they’d be able to identify someone willing to trade Grace for money and they could get out of Qurac without firing a shot. He didn’t believe they’d be that lucky, but William was still hoping for a peaceful solution.

“Do you think they figured out her identity?” Bobby asked as he cinched the straps on his medical bag. “If they realize she’s the niece of Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn, they might not let her go for a few million dollars.”

“It’s better they think she has rich uncles. They’ll keep her alive as long as they think they can make money off her. If they figure out she’s the daughter of the head of ARGUS,” William couldn’t finish the sentence. He refused to think what would happen to sweet, smart, beautiful, funny Grace if anyone thought they could get revenge on ARGUS.

“Do you think she’s working for ARGUS or do you think she’s here on a covert mission for the army?” Bobby asked. “Aunt Lyla didn’t actually answer my question.”

“Does it matter?” William responded. “Either way, she’s in trouble.”

Bobby shrugged, “I can’t believe Aunt Lyla would drag Grace into ARGUS.”

“I think a lot of people might say the same thing to dad about you and me,” William pointed out.

“There’s a big difference between ARGUS and Team Arrow,” Bobby said as he checked the pockets of his cargo pants.

“Yeah, one of them is legal,” William said with a wink.

Bobby rolled his eyes, “We’re not sneaky – yeah, we wear masks, but we’re not underhanded. We don’t blackmail people into working for us by threatening their loved ones. I don’t know which one is harder to believe, Grace as an ARGUS agent, or daddy.”

Grace was a good soldier, just like her dad. In William’s opinion, it was much harder to picture their dad taking orders from the covert agency. Oliver was loyal, but he was also incredibly stubborn, and he preferred giving the orders to taking them. Felicity, Tommy, and John were the only three people Oliver ever deferred to, and even then, he always seemed reluctant.

The 3-D map continued to rotate between William and Bobby. “Unless mom contacts us with a location, I think we’re going to need to head into the town and find out what we can. Did you decide on our cover story? Canadians with an NGO or mercenaries for hire?”

“How’s your conversational Arabic?” William asked. He’d never been very good with languages. Even with Sara and Nyssa insisting on the necessity of learning Arabic, William was far from fluent. His younger siblings had been much better students.

“Not as good as my Italian,” Bobby said somewhat seriously. “I don’t think I’ll fool anyone with my accent. Nate’s the one with an ear for language.”

“If the rebels have her, any Westerner showing up is going to raise suspicions,” William said. “Doctor or mercenary – it won’t matter.”

“A doctor is usually welcomed in isolated communities – especially one in the middle of a war. It might be easier for us to move around if we announce ourselves,” Bobby said.

William didn’t like the idea of exposing themselves to the town before they knew who was holding Grace. He didn’t want to give the government or the rebels another chance to take hostages. “Let’s call that plan B. Plan A will be to see if we can learn anything on our own. We will go with the Doctors Without Borders route if we don’t have a location on Grace by tomorrow morning. I’ll send a message to Overwatch to make sure she has a false trail in place for us, in case we go that way.”

Bobby smirked, “It’s kind of adorable that you think we might go with a plan B. We’ll be lucky if we get out of here with a plan Z.”

 

“I hate sand,” Bobby grumbled from where he lay on the ground with his night vision binoculars trained on the compound they were watching. He pushed away a cat that had come upon them during their surveillance and was fascinated with Bobby’s binoculars.

It turned out, the small town was under siege and the streets were empty of civilians. Only government soldiers could be seen patrolling the streets. William and Bobby had been forced to hide in a bombed out building until the sun had set. Based on satellite imagery, Felicity and Lyla had decided the rebel soldiers were in the compound on the outskirts of the town. They still weren’t sure if Grace was being held by the rebels, but it was looking more and more likely.

“I’ve picked up more chatter from your location,” Felicity said into their comms. “They are talking a lot about selling their goats when I don’t see any evidence of goats within their compound walls. Unless they’re running some kind of goat scam, I think they might be talking about our Grace.”

“Sounds like they’re looking to sell more than one hostage. Did Lyla have any luck learning who else might’ve been taken with Grace?” William asked.

“No one is confirming that Grace is missing. I don’t think we’re going to know who else is there until you breach,” Felicity said apologetically.

William studied the satellite surveillance data Overwatch had retrieved and sent to his tablet. The compound had a small out building in the northwest corner of the compound. There were four heat signatures confined within a small space. There wasn’t any movement within the building, but there was a regular patrol around the building.

“I see cameras on the walls,” Bobby said. “Overwatch, any chance you can take them out?”

“Negative. The cameras aren’t wireless, and it appears they’re monitoring with a closed circuit,” Felicity answered, “but I do see a generator and remember having a son who is pretty good at taking things apart.”

“If you can make the generator failure look like a routine maintenance issue, it would take out those two floodlights and buy us some time in the dark,” William said, slipping his tablet inside his jacket.

“I can take out the generator, but I’ll need to get past the cameras on the southeast wall,” Bobby said, shoving his binoculars into his pack and removing his night vision glasses. “We could use a EMP, but that will screw with our own tech.”

“The EMP will be plan C. You worry about the generator, I’ll worry about the camera,” William said, putting on his own glasses. “Let’s move.”

William and Bobby stuck to the shadows on the perimeter of the compound as they approached the wall closest to the generator.

“This place might not have any goats, but what’s up with all the cats?” Bobby whispered. “They’re making the heat signatures harder to read.”

There were dozens of cats roaming the perimeter of the compound. William had spotted several pacing the top of the wall and climbing over the mounted cameras. He wasn’t sure why there were so many cats around, dogs were much better for security, but the cats had given him an idea about the cameras. “Get ready to move when I tell you,” William said, as he removed an arrow from his quiver and nocked his bow. He was aware of his brother crouching low by his side, preparing to sprint on his word, but William only had eyes for his target. He need to send the blunt projectile into the camera with the right amount of force to mimic a cat climbing over the camera and still move the camera enough to obscure Bobby’s movement. William inhaled as he drew his bow, allowing his mind to still. His fingers released the string and he exhaled as his arrow sailed to its target. “Now.”

Bobby’s feet were nearly soundless as he crossed the distance to the wall and appeared to effortlessly climb the wall and drop on the other side. William held out his hand and the transmitter in his electromagnetic glove sent a signal to the projectile he’d just fired. The shaft returned to his open hand and he returned it to his quiver. He quickly followed his brother over the wall and dropped to the ground in the spot his brother had just vacated. Bobby was already running towards the generator by the time William’s feet hit the ground. He quickly drew an arrow and nocked his bow, surveying his surroundings for a target even as he followed Bobby.

The generator was old and noisy. It meant that it wouldn’t be hard for the rebels to believe the generator had failed, but it also meant that it would be easier to sneak up on them. Bobby was on his knees with a knife between his lips and a wire cutter in his hands as he examined the engine. William was a mechanical engineer, but he didn’t have the finesse of his brother when it came to combustion engines. From a very young age, Bobby had loved to take things apart and figure out how to put them back together. William could still remember Bobby’s grease stained face as he smiled with triumph after he’d disassembled and then reassembled their dad’s old motorcycle in the Queen mansion’s garage one rainy day. Bobby had been ten.

“This is too easy,” Bobby muttered as he frayed a wire with his knife.

William took a step back as he realized what Bobby was doing. The rebels weren’t going to have a working generator any time soon. A blue light arced and then flashed. The smell of ozone filled the air as a small electrical fire flared. The generator sputtered and then fell silent. The compound went dark.

Without needing to be told, Bobby moved quickly towards the northwest corner of the compound where the small outbuilding was located. All around them, men shouted to one another in the darkness. Bobby, fumbling with something in his pocket, crouched beside a pickup truck as men with flashlights ran by. Not for the first time, William was grateful for Felicity’s ingenuity and the design of the glasses he and Bobby were wearing. The technology moved from night vision to normal, adapting for abrupt changes in light, like from a flashlight. It enabled them to see without experiencing temporary blindness if they were suddenly flooded in light.

Once the men passed, they took off again towards their target. A tranq gun was in Bobby’s hands as he crossed the compound. Two men stood guard in front of the door of the outbuilding, rifles braced against their shoulders as they strained their senses towards the darkness. Silently, Bobby’s gun fired and both men dropped to the ground as his tranquilizer darts found their targets. Bobby and William took up position on either side of the door. Bobby held up a fist and slowly raised three fingers, one at a time, before he threw open the door. William crossed the threshold first, an arrow at the ready. Four figures were seated on the ground with their arms chained to the walls. The smell of sweat, blood, and human waste made his eyes water and stomach lurch.

“Gracie,” Bobby hissed into the darkness.

“Doc,” William said softly. “Help me bring the bodies in.”

The two unconscious guards were dragged into the room. William secured their hands and feet as Bobby moved from prisoner to prisoner, shining a small flashlight at each of them.

“She’s not here,” Bobby said, his voice betraying his frustration.

“Who you looking for?” one of the prisoners asked with a southern drawl.

“Lieutenant Grace Diggle,” William answered.

“Who’s asking?” a different voice in the darkness asked.

“Someone who came to bring her home,” William said. “Have you seen her?”

“We were separated,” the original voice answered. “We haven’t seen Lucky Charms since the day we were ambushed.”

“Identify yourselves,” William demanded as he threw chem sticks towards each of the men. The room began to glow in a soft green.

“Sergeant Ethan Avery, United States Army,” the southern voice answered.

“Sergeant Eddie Craig, Army,” the second voice said. “This is Private Charlie Wilson,” he nodded towards the man slumped over next to him. “He took a round in the shoulder when we were taken. He’s been in and out of consciousness all day.”

Bobby knelt beside Charlie, his fingers looking for a pulse. “He’s alive,” he said. “His pulse is weak.”

“You never said who you are,” a man with a Scottish accent said.

“That’s Doc, you can call me Archie,” William said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Wallace MacDougal. I’ve been a guest here for two weeks, near as I can tell.”

“Help me get him loose,” Bobby said. “I need to examine him.”

“Are you a medic?” Eddie asked.

“He’s not a medic. Doc’s the genuine article,” William said as he freed Charlie from the shackles binding his wrists. He lowered the wounded soldier to the ground. Even in the pale light it was easy to see that Charlie’s uniform was soaked with blood and the soldier’s breathing was shallow.

Bobby held out a pair of surgical shears, “Get his coat and shirt off him.”

William took the shears and quickly cut through Charlie’s jacket and t-shirt. Bobby was instantly examining the wound. “Damn it, there’s no exit wound,” he mumbled to himself.

“Can you stabilize him?” William asked. The longer Bobby needed to work on his patient, the longer it would be before they could locate Grace. Having to extract a wounded soldier was going to complicate things.

“He’s lost a lot of blood. I need to get some fluids into him,” Bobby answered as he pulled tubing and a bag of saline from his pack.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” William needlessly reminded his brother.

“I’ll worry about Charlie, you worry about everyone else,” Bobby said, his eyes trained on his patient.

William ran his flashlight over the other men. Charlie, Ethan and Eddie weren’t in uniforms. They had full beards and were dressed in traditional Quracki clothing. If they were telling the truth and were American soldiers, they were clearly on a covert mission. Wallace was another story. He was dressed in a polo shirt, cargo pants, and combat boots. William quickly sent the men’s names and fingerprints to Felicity for confirmation of their identities.

“What are you doing in Qurac?” William asked Wallace.

“I’m with the United Nation’s relief agency. I was separated from my convoy during an aerial bombardment – not quite sure which side was dropping the bombs. My vehicle ran out of gas and I made the mistake of wandering too close to this place.” Wallace said. “They took me hostage. I think they’re negotiating a ransom with my family. It’s hard to tell - they’re not exactly forthcoming.”

William didn’t believe Wallace’s story for a second. If a U.N. worker had been taken hostage, Lyla would’ve known about it.

“You got any water?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah,” William answered. He pulled three bottles of water from Bobby’s pack and handed a bottle to each man.

“You planning on letting us go, Archie?” Wallace asked with suspicion.

“I haven’t decided. None of you were part of our mission,” William said.

“Is Grace your girlfriend?” Wallace asked.

“She’s my mission,” William said. A small vibration in his jacket alerted him to Felicity’s reply. She confirmed the identification of the three Special Forces soldiers. “Avery and Craig, your stories check out.” He quickly freed the men of their shackles and passed them each a protein bar.

Eddie crawled over to Charlie and offered Bobby his help.

“What about me?” Wallace asked. “Aren’t you going to let me go?”

“Not until I receive word back from command,” William said.

“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked William. “We’re not here, so how did you find us?”

The complete truth wasn’t an option. He couldn’t come out and say that he was the Green Arrow and Bobby was Doctor Midnight and that they were there to rescue Spartan. “We’re not with the government,” William said, “we’re private contractors.”

Ethan looked between William and Bobby. His eyes narrowed and then went wide with recognition. He lowered his voice. “Lucky Charms doesn’t talk much about her family, but even in the dark I recognize the two of you. My sister has had a crush on him,” he pointed towards Bobby, “since junior high. How the hell did a tech guy and a kid doctor get into Qurac?”

William wasn’t happy that they’d been recognized, but he trusted the soldiers would keep their secret. It wasn’t in anyone’s best interest if it was learned that William Clayton and Robert Smoak had rescued American soldiers being held in Qurac. “Hopefully, the same way we’re getting out,” William said. “What can you tell me about the people who took you?”

“Sayed, the leader of this group, thinks he’s on the side of the angels. He says the exiled prince is a progressive and wants to modernize the country – including giving women equal rights to men,” Ethan said. “He’s just looking to collect some ransom to help fund their cause. He’s not interested in torturing us for information. I think he separated us from the Lieutenant out of some kind of chivalry.”

William hoped Ethan was correct and that the only reason Grace had been separated from the men was to preserve her modesty. From everything he’d read in Lyla’s mission briefing on the flight over, the rebels didn’t discriminate when it came to torturing and killing prisoners. The only thing that prevented them from perpetrating violence was the promise of a ransom. “The government will never pay a ransom,” William said.

Wallace snorted with derision, “Of course your government will pay. They don’t want to be publicly caught out for violating the non-aggression treaty with the current government of Qurac.”

“They might not have the kind of technology you are used to,” Ethan said for William’s ears, “but they know how to use Google. If they haven’t figured out who Grace is yet, it won’t take them long before they do. They hit the motherlode with her. Your dad will pay a fortune to get her back.”

“Do you know if she’s still here? Have you seen Sayed?” William asked Ethan, their backs to Wallace.

“If your girlfriend is valuable, Archie, she’s still here. Otherwise… Too bad she’s not white, they would sell her to some old rich guy as a bride, instead she’ll be sold to someone as a whore. Racism is alive and well in this part of the world,” Wallace said with malicious glee. He tugged against his chains and snarled, “Stop worrying about her and start figuring out how you’re getting the rest of us the hell out of here. My family will pay you whatever ransom they were going to pay my captors. I’m sure it’s more than you're being paid to retrieve your girlfriend.”

“We’re not leaving here without the lieutenant,” Ethan said to Wallace.

William’s suit vibrated with another message from Felicity. He quickly read her message about Wallace MacDougal and tried to remember how they ever thought this would be an easy rescue. He returned to Bobby’s side, hoping his brother would have good news about his patient.

“What’s the word, Doc?” William asked softly as he knelt.

“He needs surgery to remove the bullet, but right now, it’s the only thing keeping him from bleeding out,” Bobby answered.

“Is he stable enough to move?” William asked.

“He’s as stable as he’s going to get,” Bobby said, writing in permanent marker on Charlie’s chest. The young doctor’s hand writing was neat as he outlined what drugs and treatment he’d administered to the soldier in case he wasn’t there when Charlie made it to a hospital. “I have the IV wide open, I need another five minutes and we’ll be ready to move.”

William looked at Eddie and the other man moved away. “I think we’ve found Grace’s arms dealer,” he said to Bobby. “We need to find Grace and get out of here.” He removed his tablet from his pocket and studied the heat signatures of the rest of the compound. As predicted, a group of four men were huddled around the generator. He turned his attention to the main building and tried to discern which of the figures was Grace. Needing another set of eyes, he projected the current view of the compound side by side with the view from when they first arrived onto the wall in front of them. Bobby lifted his eyes from the patient and stared at the images.

“There,” Bobby said, pointing at a blob on the wall, “that’s her.”

William looked between the two readouts and had to agree with his brother. Three figures were clustered tightly together in both. The people inside the compound had been launched into motion when the generator cut out, except for the three figures at the center of the building.

The radios on the unconscious guards crackled to life. All five men turned towards the sound.

“They’re asking for a status report,” Bobby translated.

William grabbed the radio from one of the guards and tossed it to Bobby. His little brother caught it out of the air and answered gruffly in Arabic. The radio remained silent. He had no way of knowing whether Bobby’s response was enough or if they were about to be overrun. He grabbed the two rifles from the soldiers and held one out to Ethan and Eddie. “Doc, we gotta go. You’re out of time.”

Bobby quickly removed the IV and finished securing a sling around Charlie’s arm. “Ready,” he said, pulling his pack onto his back.

William gagged and then shackled the two guards to the wall. Ethan searched their pockets for ammunition as William stared at the man who called himself Wallace. He needed to make a decision, and he needed to make it fast. The man’s fingerprints had come back as Lachlan Luthor, the son of Lex Luthor. Lachlan kept a low profile and was rarely seen at public events and never photographed with his father, but he worked for L Corp. He’d grown up in Scotland with his mother and hadn’t been publicly recognized by his father until he started at Oxford. William suspected that he and Lachlan could share some stories about being claimed by billionaire dads as teenagers.

If William had to guess, Lachlan was in Qurac on orders from his dad too, with one big difference.  The Luthors were trying to arm both sides in the current conflict. He could only imagine what had gone wrong during negotiations to cause the rebels to turn on the man supplying them with weapons. William had an uneasy feeling that Grace’s ransom was how the rebels planned on paying the Luthors.

“Are you going to leave me here to be murdered when you leave or are you taking me with you?” Lachlan asked.

“I know who you are. You have one chance to tell me the truth, or I’m leaving you behind,” William said. “You’re not my priority – not even close.”

“Sayed owes me money and I refused to make delivery without payment in full. He was worried I was going to sell his supplies to the other side instead of waiting for payment – he wasn’t wrong. He decided to make me his guest as he arranged to kidnap and ransom American soldiers undercover in the area,” Lachlan answered, gesturing towards the soldiers. “I’m sorry your girlfriend got caught up in this, but she’s been following me and making my life difficult for months.”

“I’m surprised your dad hasn’t come looking for you,” William said. Nothing would’ve kept Oliver from tracking William down if he’d been held.

“I’m not,” Lachlan said, his eyes darting away from William’s. “My dad doesn’t like failure. He’ll assume I’ll make it out and learn my lesson or I’ll die.”

“Our transportation is five clicks south of here. We’ll meet you there, once we have Grace,” William told Ethan as he removed the shackles from Lachlan’s wrists. He pointed to Lachlan, “This is Lachlan Luthor. I’m pretty sure he was your mission. Don’t trust a word out of his mouth. He’s going to carry Charlie for you. I want you and Eddie to keep your heads on a swivel. If he gives you any trouble, shoot him.”

Bobby stood up and pulled William into a corner and quietly hissed, “Are you nuts? We can’t rescue a Luthor. It won’t be that hard for him to figure out who we really are. Dad says Lex always suspected that he was the GA.”

“We can’t afford to leave him behind. We don’t need him telling his captors who we are either.” William held out his hand, “Give me your locator.”

Bobby pulled his locator over his sleeve. “If you ditch me here, da will be really pissed.”

William chuckled as he took the device from his brother, “Trust me, I don’t want to face my wife if I leave you here.”

“Who’s the senior officer?” William asked Ethan and Eddie. Without their Lieutenant, William needed one of the men to stand up and take command while he and Bobby went after Grace.

Ethan raised his hand, “That would be me.”

“Here,” William said strapping the locator onto Ethan’s arm. “This will guide you back to our transportation. It’s camouflaged, so you won’t see it when you arrive. Trust that this is right when it says you’re there.”

“How do you plan on getting us out of here?” Lachlan asked. “There are at least fifty people in this compound.”

“You’re going out the front door. We took care of the lights and the cameras.” William pointed to Charlie, “Pick him up.”

Lachlan complied without further complaint. William opened the door and slipped into the darkness. Ethan, Lachlan with Charlie over his shoulders, Eddie and Bobby followed William through the compound. Five feet from the entrance to the compound, William ducked behind a truck and checked the heat signatures on the other side of the wall. There was one guard the group would have to slip by, but it was dark enough they should be able to. William prayed the other heat signatures were cats.

“I’ll meet you back here,” Bobby whispered to William. “I’m going to make sure we have a distraction if we need one.” He melted back into the shadows.

William led the men past two soldiers and through the open gate. They walked around the perimeter until they were facing the direction of the jet. William pointed to the distance. “We’ll be right behind you. If we’re not, someone from our team will be in touch and will get you out,” he said to Ethan. “Good luck.”

“Tell Lucky Charms we’ll see her soon,” Ethan said.

William returned to the truck and found Bobby waiting for him. “All set?”

“All set.”

There were, at least, fifty heat signatures within the compound. Their night vision glasses gave them the advantage, but it was still fifty to two. Getting in unseen was going to be hard enough and it was going to be just as hard getting out, especially if Grace was injured. William wouldn’t want anyone other than his brother at his back. They fought well together. William could depend on Bobby always being in the right position at the right time. Bobby was a skilled fighter, cool under pressure, and a gifted tactician.

The one thing his brother wasn’t, was a killer. Non-lethal force was always the goal when they went into the field. They’d be trained to believe that if they didn’t value all human life, they were no different from the criminals they’d dedicated their lives to fighting. Sometimes, things went wrong, and William had been forced to make tough choices. So far, Bobby had never had to make the toughest choice. They were on the other side of the world from Starling and facing men engaged in a civil war. William feared his little brother might have to make a lot of tough choices if they were all going to make it home. He placed a hand on his little brother’s shoulder and squeezed, “You can go with the others. This isn’t going to be clean.”

“I know. Let’s get Grace and go home,” Bobby said without hesitation.

William and Bobby moved effortlessly through the darkened compound. They gracefully slipped between the enemy as the rebels attempted to guard against an attack. From what William was able to understand from the bits and pieces of the conversations he overheard, the men thought the government was about to attack and that the government had a spy on the inside. The compound was becoming a powder keg and, once the prisoners were discovered missing, William knew they were the match that was going to set it off.

They approached the door closest to the heat signature they believed to be Grace. Bobby entered first with his gun at the ready. Before William had even stepped through the door, Bobby had dropped a man with a tranq dart. William stepped over the body and joined Bobby at the base of a staircase. Bobby pointed towards the ceiling and William agreed with his brother’s assessment. Grace was most likely on the second floor of the building. The staircase was narrow and if they encountered anyone, it would be necessary to fight hand to hand in the confined space. William took one last look at the display on Bobby’s arm and headed up the stairs.

The stairs opened into a large room with tables and chairs. A map hung on one wall with what William assumed were pins connotating enemy position. Hundreds of guns and crates of ammunition lined the floor and five handheld missile launchers laid across the table. It appeared that the rebels had taken delivery of the Luthor’s weapons. A beam from a flashlight split the darkness. The light was coming from the far end of a corridor. Bobby and William pressed themselves against the wall, avoiding the narrow band of light. He thought about using knockout gas, but it wasn’t fast acting enough. The guards would have enough time to call for help. Bobby was going to need to take out whoever was in the hall with his tranq gun, but it meant that he would be vulnerable to gunfire in close quarters. They were wearing body armor but taking a shot in close quarters really hurt and someone could get lucky with a head shot.

As if reading his mind, Bobby moved quickly into the corridor and fired two fast shots. Both guards crumpled to the ground in front of the door they were guarding. William tried the door, but it was locked. Rather than searching the guards’ pockets, William kicked in the door. Bobby entered the room first, and a figure attacked him with lightning speed. Bobby took a punch to the face and was flipped over his assailant’s back to the ground. The figure sat astride Bobby’s chest and pointed his own weapon at him.

William lowered his weapon. He would recognize that move anywhere. He’d been there the day Sara and Nyssa had taught it to her.

“Damn it, Gracie,” Bobby whined. “You hit harder than your dad.”

“Bobby?” Grace asked with surprise. She looked over her shoulder, “Will? What the hell are you two doing here?” Grace got off Bobby’s chest and offered him her hand.

“We were in the neighborhood Hannukah shopping and we thought we’d say hi,” Bobby said, standing up. “Why aren’t you in Brussels, where you’re supposed to be?”

“Are you injured?” William asked, quickly scanning Grace for any sign of injury. “Can you travel?”

“Nothing that won’t heal. I can move,” she responded. Grace picked up a small bundle from the floor and slipped it inside her shirt.

William pulled the two guards into the room. He zip-tied their wrists and ankles. Grace took one of their rifles and slung it across her back. She took the other gun and pointed towards the door. “Three of my men are here. I’m not leaving without them.”

“Your men are on their way to our ride home,” William whispered as he led them back into the corridor.

“I can’t leave without confirmation of our mission target,” Grace answered.

“If your target was Lachlan Luthor, we’ve got him too,” Bobby answered.

William could practically hear Grace’s eyes roll, “Mom should’ve sent the two of you in the first place. I’ve been looking for that guy for weeks. I only got confirmation of his identity after we got grabbed.”

“I can’t believe you’re working for ARGUS,” Bobby whispered.

“Less talking, more escaping,” William said. He paused at the end of the corridor, listening for movement on the stairs.

A shout went up in the yard of the compound. William, Bobby and Grace froze as they strained to hear what the shouting was about. Voices began to yell on the first floor.

“They’re saying the prisoners escaped. They’re coming to check on me,” Grace translated.

“Back,” William told them.

“It’s a dead end,” Bobby said.

“We’ll make our own exit,” William said, herding Grace and Bobby back down the corridor as men began to run up the stairs.

An explosion shook the building. The shouting grew louder and more frantic. Another explosion shattered the windows.

“Shit,” Grace muttered as she pushed Bobby back into her windowless room. She sent a spray of gunfire down the corridor to deter any of the men coming up the stairs from pursuing them. “The king picked a great night for an assault.”

“I set the charges,” Bobby shouted over her gunfire. “The first explosion was the generator. The second was a pickup truck.”

William set a charge on the exterior wall. He pulled Bobby into the hallway behind Grace and set off the plastic explosive. The building trembled as the wall was blown away. “How many other charges did you set?”

“Enough,” Bobby said as he ran back into the room to set up an anchor.

“We’re leaving,” William told Grace as he tugged on her arm.

Bobby was already repelling down the side of the building when William and Grace returned to the room.

“Go,” William shouted to Grace.

Grace dropped off the side of the building and William fired a taser arrow into the corridor wall. Men shouted as an electric current traveled down the hallway. He grabbed hold of the line Bobby had anchored and dropped out of the building. Within seconds, his feet were on the ground. He pulled an extra pair of glasses from his jacket and handed them to Grace.

Her face lit up with a smile as soon as she put them on. “Aunt Felicity makes the coolest toys.”

“They were my idea,” William said as he checked for heat signatures. Bobby’s explosions were making it impossible to tell where the enemy was. “Did you put charges on all the vehicles?”

“All the ones we came into contact with,” Bobby answered. “There’s another pick up by the gate. I left that one alone.”

“How far away is our transportation home?” Grace asked.

“Five clicks,” William answered.

“We’re not going to make it far on foot,” Grace said. “They’re going to come after us.”

“Agreed,” William said as he let an arrow loose and took out a soldier. “Doc, set everything off now.”

Bobby grinned and tapped the controls on his arm.

The night sky lit up like the fourth of July as Bobby’s pyrotechnics detonated around the compound. William led them towards the compound entrance. The explosions and resultant fires had caused chaos throughout the yard of the compound. Men were shouting and running around everywhere. Some carried buckets to douse the flames, while others tried to identify the source of the explosions.

A man ran directly into their path and looked surprised to see them. Before he could shout a warning to his comrades, Bobby fired a tranq dart.

They burst into the smoke filled courtyard. “There,” William pointed to a pickup truck Bobby hadn’t attached an explosive too. He pulled off his locator and pushed it into Bobby’s hand. “You drive. I’ll cover our exit.”

“It’s a piece of junk. Let me make sure it’s running before we all commit,” Bobby said before sprinting towards the vehicle.

“I’ll cover you,” William told Grace when the truck roared to life. When she made a face at him he gave her a small push, “You might be able to take me with one hand tied behind your back, but I’m still older. Haul ass little Dig.”

William covered Grace as she ran for the truck. As soon as she jumped into the bed of the truck, William followed. Grace pounded on the roof of the cab and Bobby immediately put the pedal to the floor. Men attempted to close the gate in front of them, but Bobby plowed through the metal gate. William launched explosive arrows at the remaining vehicles as Grace let out a spray of cover fire. William stood side by side with Grace as they watched the rebel’s compound burn.

“I will say this, you Queen men sure know how to make an exit,” Grace said.

William laughed at the truth of his cousin’s words. They were going to get an earful when they got home about their mission supposedly being a secret one. There had been nothing stealth about their exit.

Grace’s arms wrapped around William’s waist and she pressed her face against his chest. William held onto her until Bobby hit a bump and they broke apart instead of losing their balance.

“I’ve got eyes on Ethan’s group,” Bobby’s voice sounded in William’s comm.

“Have they responded to you?” William asked.

“Negative. I’m not sure if they don’t know how, or if they didn’t hear me,” Bobby answered.

“Approach slowly,” William cautioned. “I don’t want us to die from friendly fire.”

The truck stopped. “I can’t see them, but I know they’re out there,” Bobby said.

“Your men are laying in wait out there,” William told Grace.

“Sergeant Avery, stand down,” Grace shouted.

“We’ve got movement,” Bobby said.

Three figures emerged from the scrub. William lowered the gate of the pickup truck and he helped Lachlan load Charles onto the truck.

“Am I glad to see you,” Ethan said as Grace helped pull him into the truck.

“Not as glad as I am to see you, Damage,” Grace said. “How’s Listener?”

“The doc says he’s lost a lot of blood and he needs surgery.”

“Archie,” Bobby said climbing into the truck. “I’ll look after my patient, you drive.”

William climbed behind the wheel of the truck. Eddie gave him a tired smile, “I’m ready for a hot shower and a cold beer.”

“Soon,” William said as he put the truck into gear and took off towards the jet.

They’d gone about a mile when William spotted a set of headlights approaching from the direction of the town. There wasn’t anywhere to hide and it seemed unlikely he’d be able to outrun their pursuers. Their best chance was making it to the jet. They could lay down cover fire as Bobby loaded Charlie onto the plane.

The glass partition that separated the cab from the bed slid opened. Grace stuck her head inside. “Doc said he left his binoculars in here.”

Eddie handed her the binoculars and she disappeared.

Ten seconds later, her head reappeared. “That truck is a government vehicle,” she told them as she dropped the binoculars onto the seat. “Tank, you think you can take out their tires with that thing?”

“I’m good, but not that good. This isn’t a sniper rifle. They’re going to need to get a hell of a lot closer,” Eddie said.

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” William said. The government truck was gaining on them.

“How much further to the plane?” Grace said.

“A little less than three clicks,” William answered.

Bobby’s head appeared next to Grace’s. “Unless you can get more speed out of this thing, we’re not going to get to the jet before they catch us.”

“I don’t need to be a genius to know that,” William said. Leave it to his little brother to solve a word problem in his head while they were being chased by soldiers ready to kill them. “Instead of telling me the obvious. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Do you have any explosive arrows left?” Bobby asked.

William knew exactly how many arrows he’d brought with him, what kind, and how many he had left of each. It was one of the first lessons his dad had ever taught him. His life depended on knowing how many arrows he had in his quiver. “I’ve got one left.”

“Grace, Lucky Charms?” Bobby reached into the truck and over William’s shoulders to unstrap the quiver from his chest.

“She’s the luckiest soldier we’ve ever met, and her toenails are all the colors of the rainbow,” Eddie answered before Grace had a chance to.

Bobby snorted as he pulled William’s quiver free. Felicity's love of nail polish had rubbed off on Grace.

“Why do these guys know what color your toes are?” William asked, a swell of protectiveness surging through his chest.

“Seriously?” Grace snapped.

“Lucky Charms, you’re in the way. Try and keep this thing steady.” Bobby pulled William’s quiver and bow through the window.

Bobby was as good an archer as the man who trained them both, but he started using tranq guns after Dr. Robert Smoak performed shoulder surgery to remove an arrow from a kid Doctor Midnight shot when the kid had been robbing a convenience store at gun point. Bobby had decided to hang up his bow. Even though he always made non-lethal shots, arrow wounds were too physically catastrophic for the dedicated doctor to be comfortable inflicting.

William couldn’t afford to pay attention to what his brother was doing. He had to keep his focus on the road ahead of them and try to keep the truck from bouncing too much. There was a flash of light in his sideview mirror and the truck that had been following them burst into flame.

Eddie whistled. “That was some shot. You guys are full of party tricks. Where’d he learn to shoot that thing?”

“Camp,” William said.

“Oh, shit,” Ethan shouted. “There’s another one.”

Sure enough, a new set of headlights appeared in the mirror. The other truck must’ve had its headlights off to hide their numbers from them.

Bobby’s head returned through the window, “I don’t think Plan B is going to work now that I blew up their truck.”

“They probably think we’re rebels,” Grace said as her head reappeared.

“Either way, we’re fucked,” Eddie said.

“How much ammo did you grab?” William asked Grace.

“Not enough,” she answered.

“The jet has enough explosives on it to finish this war,” Bobby said. “Too bad we won’t get there before they catch us.”

“Do what you can to slow them down,” William said. “Lay down some fire.”

“You realize they have guns too, right?” Bobby asked. “And more bullets?”

“If you’re not going to be helpful, go away,” William said, pushing his brother’s head back through the window.

The proximity alarm sounded on William’s locator, alerting him to the presence of the jet. He willed the truck to go faster as he sent the command to lower the back gate of the jet.

“Holy shit,” Eddie said, leaning forward as he watched the jet’s gate appear out of thin air. “You have an invisible jet.”

“Technically, it’s cloaked using mirrors that reflect the surrounding landscape,” William said with more than a little pride. The work he’d done helping to design the technology that went into the cloak was one of his greatest feats of engineering.

“Dude, I don’t care what you call it. That’s an invisible jet,” Eddie said with awe.

“Hold on,” William shouted as he slammed on the brakes and spun the truck so the bed of the vehicle was facing the jet.

The truck hadn’t come to a complete stop before Bobby, Grace, and Ethan were jumping out the back. William ran to the side of the truck, reaching in for his quiver and bow. William, Grace, Ethan and Eddie took up a defensive position behind the truck. Lachlan helped Bobby lift Charlie from the truck.

The government truck opened fire on their position. Bullets sprayed into the sand as their pursuers came to a stop. “Get on the jet,” William shouted over the noise.

“These are my men,” Grace shouted back. “I don’t leave until they’re safe.”

“No,” Bobby shouted.

Bobby’s voice carried the short distance separating them and echoed in William’s ear through the comm. He turned with enough time to see Bobby step between Lachlan holding Charlie and a soldier. The soldier opened fire and Bobby took a direct hit to the chest. William didn’t recognize his own voice as his brother’s name was torn from his lips, “Bobby.”

Bobby glanced over his shoulder at him. He held William’s eyes as he dropped to his knees. His eyes rolled back and he fell forward onto his chest.

“Hold your fire,” Grace ordered her men.

William heard the same command in Arabic coming from the truck.

“Shut the jet,” Grace said, but William’s limbs refused to cooperate. All he could think was that Bobby’s chest wasn’t moving.

“Green Arrow, shut the god damned gate,” Grace shouted.

The reminder of who he was and the danger of the technology in front of him getting into enemy hands was all the push he needed. “Delta – Tango – Foxtrot – 8 – 4- 1,” he said. The gate of the jet began to rise.

The soldiers began shouting. The man who’d shot Bobby ran for the ramp but as soon as he stepped on it, he received an electric shock. The soldier fell next to Bobby and began to convulse.

William, Grace, Eddie and Ethan dropped their weapons. Lachlan was told to place Charlie on the ground. A soldier grabbed them each by the arm and dragged them closer to the government truck. William caught one last look at Bobby’s body before he was forced to his knees and their pickup truck obscured his view.

“You are Americans?” A man with a mustache asked. He looked to be in his fifties and was wearing a formal uniform covered in medals and ribbons.

They remained silent.

“Open your plane or I will shoot the woman,” the man said in halting English.

“I’m Lachlan Luthor,” Lachlan said raising his hand. “These men and woman work for me. I was here on the invitation of your king to conduct business. Shortly after we arrived, we were taken hostage by your enemies. My head of security,” he pointed at William, “helped us escape. Check with Minister Fausil, he will collaborate my story.”

The soldier who appeared to be in charge barked orders to his men. He stepped out of William’s line of sight. William assessed their current situation to determine the likelihood of their escape.

“He’s wearing body armor, right?” Grace asked through clenched teeth.

“Yes,” William answered. The armor they wore should be enough to absorb a bullet fired at close range, but William had no idea what the Luthors had sold these men. Bobby had taken a round to the chest in front of William before, but he’d never lost consciousness – he barely missed a step before he took down the man who’d shot him. Just because Bobby had gone down hard this time, it didn’t mean the bullet had pierced his armor.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on leaving here if he doesn’t,” Grace said. “I’d never be able to look Uncle Tommy in the eyes again.”

Emma and the smiling faces of his three beautiful children came to his mind. He had no intention of dying in the desert, thousands of miles away from the family that he loved. “We’re going home, all of us,” William said.

“Mr. Luthor,” the mustachioed man said as he walked back into view. “Minister Fausil confirmed your story, but he also believes you sold guns to our enemies.”

“That’s not true. My weapons were seized by your enemies when they took us captive. My men destroyed their compound when we escaped.” Lachlan pointed to where smoke was visible in the early dawn sky. “There, you can see their base burning.”

“My men are cleaning out our enemies as we speak. I’m here to make sure none of the rebel rats escape,” Mustache man said. “The minister believes you and your people are rats. Tell me about your invisible plane.”

“It’s not invisible,” William said.

“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Mustache man said. He nodded to the soldier behind William who hit William in the back of the head with the butt of his gun.

William’s vision blurred, but he stayed upright. “It’s not Luthor’s plane, it’s mine – well the plane isn’t mine, I borrowed it – although I’m sure he’ll accuse us of stealing it – anyway, you don’t care about my co-worker problems – anyway, the design is mine.”

Mustache man moved away from Lachlan and turned his complete attention to William, “The invisible plane is yours?”

“Yes, and the plane isn’t invisible – it’s an optical illusion tricking your eye into thinking it’s invisible.”

“If you give us the jet, we will let you live,” Mustache man offered with an insincere smile.

“Yeah, she’s not for sale,” William said with an equally insincere smile.

“Don’t be stupid, of course it’s for sale,” Lachlan said.

“It really isn’t,” William said.

“You do not understand how dangerous things are for you,” Mustache Man said. “My king shows no mercy. He is a frightening man.”

Grace giggled, and William’s laugh joined hers, “You really don’t know who we stole this plane from. He’s a frightening man.”

William was struck between his shoulder blades with the butt of a rifle.

“You will give us this plane, or we will kill you in the sand like the dogs you are and let the birds pick your bones,” Mustache Man snarled, spit flying from his lips.

“Plan Z fucking sucks,” Bobby’s voice came through the comms. “Turns out, I didn’t really pay attention when dad gave me flying lessons. If we’re getting out of here, you need to be in the cockpit.”

An arrow sailed through the air and struck the soldier that had hit William. Gunfire erupted around them as Grace and her soldiers launched themselves at their captors.

“Cover me,” William shouted to Grace. “We’re leaving in sixty seconds. You better be on the plane when we do.”

William took off in a sprint towards the plane. He tapped the controls on his arm and the jet’s ramp began to lower.

“Down,” Bobby yelled and William hit the sand.

When William looked behind him Mustache Man was in the sand, an arrow sticking from his chest and a gun in his hand. He scrambled to his feet and ran past his brother firing arrows at the soldiers as Grace, Ethan, Eddie, and Lachlan retreated.

Forty-five minutes later the jet had reached ten thousand feet. William set the automatic pilot and moved to the rear of the jet to check on his passengers.

Ethan looked up with surprise when he saw William, “If you’re back here, who’s flying this thing?”

“My co-pilot,” William said as he passed by the sergeant. He stopped next to Grace who was watching Bobby set up a blood transfusion for Charlie. “Harbinger is on the line. She wants to speak with you.”

“I’ll be right back, Charlie,” she promised the unconscious soldier.

“Where are we heading?” Bobby asked. “Ramstein?”

“I don’t know. We’ll go wherever Harbinger tells us,” William said.

“I’d like to get him to a hospital as fast as we can,” Bobby said. “Ramstein is our best option.”

“I told Harbinger that we have an emergency. We’re not exactly flying a sanctioned aircraft. She’s going to see what she can do,” William said. “Can I do anything for you?” Bobby’s jaw was already turning black and blue from where Grace had struck him. He could only imagine what his chest looked like from taking a round. “I’d like to take a look at you – make sure your ribs aren’t broken.”

“They’re not.” He glanced at William and grinned the smile that made all the women and some of the men fall in love with him. “The bruise from Grace’s punch will be worse than the bruise I’ll have on my chest.”

William doubted that. “You sure there isn’t anything I can do?”

“Yes, but you can try and convince Grace to let me check her over,” Bobby said.

William didn’t think there was any chance Grace would comply. “I’ll see what I can do.”

The hair on the back of William’s neck stood on end. He turned to find Lachlan Luthor staring at them. “Do you need something?”

Lachlan smiled from where he was handcuffed to the bench he was seated on, “I find it interesting that the sons of Oliver Queen have the necessary skills to stage a rescue in Qurac.”

“He took a bullet for you - did you even thank him?” William snapped.

“Please, he didn’t sacrifice himself. He has on body armor – body armor I’d love to get my hands on. I didn’t think body armor existed that could stop Luthor weapons.”

“You’re going to take care of that?” William asked Bobby. They were going to need to give Lachlan Luthor an amnesia cocktail.

“Yep, once I know where we’re going,” Bobby replied. “The timing and dosage needs to be right.”

William retrieved Tommy’s cooler of sandwiches and passed them out to the men before returning to the cockpit with a bottle of water and a sandwich for Grace.

He was surprised to see a fluffy black kitten asleep on a blanket on his chair. Grace smiled at him as she continued to speak with her mom. William passed the water and food to Grace before he scooped up the kitten and dropped into his seat. The kitten continued to sleep as he held it against his chest.

Grace disconnected the call with her mom. She leaned back in her seat and unwrapped her sandwich. “Mom says we should drop Eddie and Charlie off at Ramstein. Ethan and I will escort Lachlan to Starling where he’ll be taken into ARGUS custody. She said no amnesia cocktail.”

“Too late,” William said. “Bobby already gave it to him.”

“Liar,” she said with a wide smile, “but I agree with you. He needs to forget he ever met us.”

“I don’t remember rescuing this little guy,” William said, scratching the top of the kitten’s head with one hand as he changed the coordinates on the auto navigation system.

Grace shrugged, “He wandered into my room the first night and kept me company. I couldn’t leave him behind, especially with Bobby blowing everything up.”

“What are you naming him?” William asked.

“Ollie,” Grace said with a straight face.

“Ollie?”

“Wait until he wakes up. He scowls just like the Ollie we know and love,” Grace teased with a wink. “Dad is lonely with JJ and me away. I thought he’d like the company.”

“Does your dad even like cats?” William asked.

“He didn’t like your dad when they first met and look how they turned out.” Grace took a bite of her sandwich and moaned. She covered her mouth, “If Uncle Tommy wasn’t already married and my uncle, I’d totally marry him for this sandwich.”

William wrinkled his nose. He couldn’t picture Tommy with anyone but Oliver and Felicity. Even after five kids and being together for nearly three decades, they were still disgustingly in love. They were great role models for his own marriage.

“I already spoke to Bobby. Thank you for coming for me,” Grace said.

“Did you honestly think we wouldn’t come for you?” William teased gently. “You’re our amazing Grace.”

“To be honest, after they took us, I thought, I wish the Green Arrow was here.”

“Your wish is my command.” William reached for her hand, “I’d go to the end of the earth for you. We both would.”

“Is Bobby all right?” Grace asked.

“He says he’s fine. He won’t let me look at his ribs,” William said, intentionally misunderstanding her question. He had no idea how his brother was coping with taking a life. “Actually, he wanted me to convince you to let him check you over.”

“I wasn’t talking about his ribs. He killed someone back there,” Grace said, her eyes focused on the sandwich on her lap. “He’s not like our parents – or like us.”

“He’ll be okay. He’s focused on his patient. Once we get home, dad and I will talk to him.” William tried to ignore the guilt gnawing in his chest. His little brother had killed to save his life.

“Are there anymore of these sandwiches?” she asked.

“Yeah, Tommy made enough for a small army. He must’ve guessed you weren’t coming back alone.”

Grace stood up and stretched, “I’m grabbing another one before Eddie and Ethan finish them all. You want one?”

William followed Grace to the back of the plane. He needed to tell Bobby their new flight plan. He found his little brother sitting on the floor next to the bench Charlie was laying across. His head was tilted back, and he was fast asleep.

“Are you sure he’s a real doctor?” Eddie asked. “He looks like he’s twelve.”

“He’s not twelve,” Ethan said, “but he’s a genuine genius. Went to college when he was fourteen,”

“Thirteen,” William corrected as he draped a blanket over his brother.

“How many PhD’s does he have?” Ethan asked.

“Three,” William answered as he accepted a sandwich from Grace.

“Is that a kitten?” Eddie asked, holding out his hands. “Your invisible jet has a kitten?”

“It’s not invisible.”

 

William could hear Bobby’s stomach growl as soon as they walked through the front door. The smell of roasting turkey filled the house. The sound of a football game at maximum volume alerted them to the presence of Quentin. The man refused to wear hearing aids so they were all forced to listen to movies and sporting events at maximum volume. It was a miracle the whole family wasn’t experiencing hearing loss.

Prue appeared in the doorway of the kitchen and her face lit up with excitement when she saw them. “They’re home,” she shouted as she ran down the hall to greet them.

The hallway was soon full of their family. Ruby and Hazel charged through the taller adults as they said, “Daddy.”

William knelt and scooped his girls into his arms. When he rose to his feet, Emma was waiting for him with a squirming Ben in her arms. “I missed you guys,” he said.

“Not as much as we missed you,” Emma said right before she kissed him.

“You stink,” Becca told Bobby. Her arms were wrapped around him, her face buried against his neck. Despite her protestations, she made no move to let go of her brother.

“So do you,” Ruby informed William.

William laughed, “I do, do I?”

Hazel’s eyes went wide and she nodded her agreement, “A lot.”

“Nothing like kids to tell you what’s wrong with you,” Oliver said with sympathy.

“Ruby’s seven, what’s Becca’s excuse?” Bobby asked.

Becca laughed and let go of her brother but not before she gave him a playful swat. Bobby winced and Becca’s amusement turned to concern, “Are you all right?”

Bobby’s grimace turned to a smile, “Just a bruise.”

Roy gave Bobby a push towards the stairs, “I’ll take a look at this bruise before you get in the shower.”

“Uncle Roy, I’m fine, honest,” Bobby said as he headed for the stairs.

Roy rolled his eyes, “Physician, heal thyself. It’s either me or your mom.”

“Fine,” Bobby groused.

“Who are you kidding? I’m still looking,” Felicity said as she followed them up the stairs.

“Hurry up,” Tommy called after them. “A certain person promised he’d help with the cooking.”

“I left a bag for you in your dad’s room.” Emma said, passing Ben to Prue. She took Hazel from his arms, passing her to Becca and then passed Ruby to Nate.

“A shower sounds amazing,” William said. He could think of nothing better than standing under hot water for a half hour. There wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t sore.

He had made it up three stairs before he realized Emma was following him. When he turned to look at her, she winked. “I’m going to check you for bruises.”

William took her hands, “I promise, Em, I didn’t get shot. I’m fine.”

Emma joined him on the stair he was on. She leaned in towards him and said, “I think I should see you naked, just to be sure.”

All of his fatigue instantly disappeared. William scooped his wife into his arms and resumed climbing the stairs, “Emma Green, I like the way you think.”

“I know.” She placed her head on his chest, “It’s why you married me.”

“Did you pack a change of clothes for yourself?” he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Emma’s creamy skin flushed red. “Yes.”

“In that case, we’re taking a shower upstairs,” he said as he walked into his dad’s bedroom looking for his bag. If he was going to have sex with his wife, he wasn’t doing it in his dad’s bathroom.

“Ugh, gross,” Bobby protested when William and Emma arrived on the third floor. “You can’t wait until after dinner?”

“Oh, Bobby,” Emma said, squirming to get out of William’s arms.

Bobby was standing shirtless in his bedroom. His entire chest was purple from where the bullet impacted his body armor. “Is he all right?” William asked Roy.

“I’d like him to go to the clinic for an x-ray. I’m worried his sternum is fractured,” Roy answered.

“I’ll go after dinner,” Bobby said.

“You’ll go now,” Felicity insisted.

“Your mom’s right,” Emma said, her hand hovering over Bobby’s mottled skin. “You know better. You could have internal bleeding.”

“It’s been more than sixteen hours, if I was bleeding out, I’d know it,” Bobby protested.

Emma made a fist and drew it back like she was going to punch him. Bobby flinched. She dropped her fist and raised her eyebrows.

“Fine, I’ll go.” He turned to his mom, “I can’t believe you left me in her care.”

“I know, but she seemed so sweet at the time,” Felicity said.

“I’ll take you,” Roy said, handing him back his t-shirt.

“I’m not going anywhere until I take a shower,” Bobby informed them as he entered his bathroom. “Don’t tell Becca, but I smell awful.” He closed the door behind him.

“I’ll go get my car,” Roy said stepping into the hall.

“How bad is it?” Oliver asked.

“Not sure. We’re going for x-rays,” Roy said.

“It was a rifle shot at point blank,” William told his dad, closing Bobby’s bedroom door. “He went down hard. It knocked the air right out of him. There was a moment, Grace and I thought,” his eyes filled and he looked away.

“You all came home, that’s what’s important,” Felicity said. “I better tell Tommy that dinner is going to be a bit late.”

“I’ll come with you,” Emma said.

William dropped his suitcase in the guest bedroom. Oliver followed him inside. “You okay?”

“Yeah, tired, but fine. Hardly seems real.” Qurac already felt like it had been months ago, not hours. “After the x-rays, he’s going to need you. He had to make a tough choice.”

“It wasn’t a tough choice.” Bobby stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist. “He was aiming for your head. There was no choice to make.”

Oliver smiled sadly. He hugged his son. “If you ever need to talk about anything, I’m always here for you. I’m proud of you – both of you.”

“Thanks, dad,” Bobby said.

“Next time,” Oliver stepped back, but held onto Bobby’s arms, “don’t blow so much stuff up.”

Bobby laughed and then winced. He wrapped his arms around his chest, “The Bat has some cool stuff. I was testing it out – competitive intelligence. We need to get cooler stuff.”

“I can’t afford it. Your mom insists we pay for any damage the team causes,” Oliver lamented.

“What are we going to do about Luthor? He’s back in the arms business.” William said.

“Today, we’re going to be grateful that our family is together and eat too much. We’ll worry about Luthor tomorrow. The JL has called a meeting.” He nodded towards the door, “I better check on Tommy.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” William asked Bobby.

“No, I’ll be okay. The kids aren’t going to want to let you out of their sight. Besides, I’m pretty sure Becca and Prue are already sitting by the door with their coats on waiting for me.”

William was sure Bobby was right. He held out his hand and Bobby shook it, but William didn’t let go. “Thank you for having my back out there.”

Bobby shrugged, “It’s what brothers do. Right?”

William didn't say anything because he didn't need to. Bobby was right. It was what brothers did - what families did - for the people they loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. 
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this installment about the next generation of Starling City Superheroes.
> 
> Prompts are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. I'm always happy to answer questions about this verse or anything else Arrow. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com


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